New Delhi: Aircraft manufacturer Airbus and French aviation accident investigation agency BEA will join the investigation into the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight incident in which 17 people on board were injured when the A320neo aircraft abruptly dropped by 300 feet after hitting air turbulence at an altitude of 36,000 feet, according to sources.
The incident has been classified as a serious incident by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
“In accordance with ICAO Annex 13, Airbus is providing technical assistance to the relevant investigating authorities. We are actively supporting the airline and will provide further information as it becomes available. A team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation,” an Airbus spokesperson said.
France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), the country’s air accident investigation agency, is also participating in the investigation. Under ICAO’s Annex 13, the country where an aircraft is designed or manufactured can appoint representatives to participate in an investigation.
Airbus, as the manufacturer of the A320 involved in the incident, can also provide technical assistance to investigators. The aerospace giant’s participation is part of the technical support provided by aircraft manufacturers under the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13. Such assistance can include helping investigators understand aircraft systems and analyse technical and flight data.
The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s sudden altitude variation and the actions of the flight crew. The plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been secured for examination as part of the investigation.
These records are expected to help investigators reconstruct the aircraft’s response during the turbulence encounter and establish whether any aircraft systems or warnings were involved.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has removed both pilots from the roster pending the investigation.
The pilots were subjected to post-flight screening for psychoactive substances after arriving in Delhi. The initial screening test of the pilot-in-command was “not negative” and the sample has been sent for a confirmatory test, the Civil Aviation Ministry said on Sunday.
The government said further action would be taken based on the outcome of the investigation and the confirmatory test.
(IANS)
